It's Personal
by Lily Hanson
Summary: An attack from Heckyl hits too close to home.
1. A Mother's Concern

_Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers Dino Charge. This story is fan-made._

Mrs. Fisher was waiting just outside a small cafe in Amber Beach. She had plans to have lunch with Kendall on that afternoon and was looking forward to a little time with her daughter. Often, when they met up, Jon and Cammy were also around, and while Mrs. Fisher loved the family get-togethers, she always craved time alone with the people she loved.

Kendall had always been elusive. Mrs. Fisher had been able to have mother and son time with Jeremy, and mother-daughter time with Cammy. However, in the four years Kendall had lived with them, the young woman didn't do much socializing. Mrs. Fisher had to try hard not to take it personally, knowing that some children in foster care took a while to warm up to their new families, especially if they sensed their home was just temporary. Then when Kendall took off for college, she showed no sign of coming home. Fortunately, she did return, and Mrs. Fisher had since been trying to set up a date for them to go out and talk and enjoy each other's company.

Kendall's car pulled into the parking lot. Mrs. Fisher checked her watch and saw her daughter was running a little late. Kendall looked a little frazzled getting out of the car and she assumed she was running behind because something came up at the museum. Her daughter wasn't often late.

"Kendall!" she called her over, waving to grab Kendall's attention. When Kendall spotted her, she made her way over. Mrs. Fisher could see her daughter looked out of breath and would have assumed, had she not seen Kendall get out of the car, that she had run over from the museum.

"Everything okay?" she asked as Kendall walked over.

"Just a busy day," Kendall nodded her head. Mrs. Fisher also nodded, but felt there was something her daughter wasn't telling her. From times where she had dropped Cammy off at the museum, she had caught glimpses of busy days. She had seen Kendall rushing around the cafe or the museum, trying to cater to guests, to staff or to special events. She knew at times the job could be extremely demanding. However, Kendall thrived on work. She had always been most calm while doing her school work and even studied in her downtime before going off to college. Even now, when Kendall stopped by for dinner, she always had her tablet with her and whenever she got the chance, she would get a little work done. It seemed to relax her.

Busy times were stressful still, but oddly enough they seemed to recharge the scientist. So for Kendall to show up, almost huffing and puffing, and claim it was due to the museum being a bit on the chaotic side seemed weird. Still, Mrs. Fisher didn't question it too much, and walked inside the cafe with her daughter. Once they at their table with their menus in hand, Mrs. Fisher looked to Kendall. Her intention was to ask what Kendall thought she might order, but when she noticed what looked like a fresh bruise on her daughter's arm, she couldn't stop herself from asking.

"What's that from?"

Kendall glanced to the bruise quickly then covered it up by pulling her sleeve down. She shrugged, "Lab work, I guess."

"What are you researching now?" Mrs. Fisher asked. She thought it was odd that lab work would leave Kendall with bruising, but she didn't know much about the field of science.

"Migration patterns," Kendall answered.

"Find out anything new?"

Kendall shook her head just as the waiter arrived to take their drink order. Mrs. Fisher ordered them both a glass of wine and asked for bread for the table. When the waiter walked off, she smiled with her daughter.

"Cammy had a wonderful game last night," she said, hoping changing the topic to the little girl would help pull Kendall out of her shell a little bit. "Her coach decided to have her play forward and she scored her first goal!"

A smile lit up Kendall's face, which was exactly what Mrs. Fisher wanted.

"That's amazing!"

"She was so excited," Mrs. Fisher said. "We took her out for ice-cream after the game. Watkins Ice-Cream, actually. And Mr. Watkins said he had a good talk with you."

"Yesterday," Kendall nodded. "I stopped by on Shelby's behalf."

"Shelby is his daughter, right?"

"She wanted to work full time at the museum," Kendall said. "Mr. Watkins was a little too obsessed with having Shelby follow in his footsteps so I had to talk him round a bit."

"That's a lot of work for a waitress," Mrs. Fisher pointed out. "She must show a lot of potential if you'll go out of your way to make sure she can stay on at the museum."

"Potential is a good word," Kendall nodded as the wine and bread were brought to the table. As Kendall reached for her glass, Mrs. Fisher noticed her daughter moving tenderly, as if the slightest misstep would cause her pain.

"How are things going with Chase?" she asked.

"Chase?"

"Your boyfriend."

"Fine," Kendall answered with a little shrug. "We had a video dinner with his mom and sister the other night."

"Video dinner? What's that?"

"We ate dinner, they had lunch and we talked over video chat," Kendall said. "It was actually pretty nice. His mom and sister are really sweet."

"That's great," Mrs. Fisher smiled. "How old is his sister?"

"Chloe's ten. I really think she and Cammy would get along."

"Do they have any plans of coming down to visit? Chase has been away from home for a while, hasn't he?"

"Since Christmas," Kendall nodded. "But I don't think they'll be coming anytime soon. Chase doesn't really want them visiting with all the monster attacks happening in the city."

"What if you both travelled there?" Mrs. Fisher suggested. "Jeremy's company pays for most of his flights, but I think he still knows how to get pretty good deals for recreational travel. I'm sure he could help you get a good price for flights."

"Money's not really an issue," Kendall stated. "It's... time. I can't leave the museum for long and Chase is pretty busy around here."

"Doing what? You can't afford your own boyfriend a bit of time off to see his family?"

"It's... more complicated than that," Kendall answered.

"Complicated how?" Mrs. Fisher asked. Kendall shrugged her shoulders and had a look on her face that told Mrs. Fisher she didn't want to talk about it. As Kendall took another sip of wine, likely using it as an excuse not to answer her mother, Mrs. Fisher couldn't help but notice another bruise, this time on Kendall's collar bone.

"Is everything okay between you and Chase?" she asked.

"Fine, why?"

"It's just... I know you haven't seen some of the healthiest relationships," Mrs. Fisher started and Kendall frowned deeply, clueless to where her mother was headed but certain she was on the wrong path. "But, you know, if something doesn't feel right, or if things aren't going well, Jon and I are always here to listen."

"Bella..."

"I'm serious, Kendall. You deserve the best. And if Chase isn't cutting it for you..."

"Bella, everything between Chase and me is great," Kendall answered, "What would give you the impression that it's not?"

Mrs. Fisher pointed to her chest. Kendall looked down, saw the bruise and again covered it up.

"Work related."

"Kendall, it's not just today. You know, every time I see you, you've got some new bruises or cuts or..."

"I do work every day."

"Yes, I know. It's just... that can't be normal. And today you're out of breathe and..."

"Bella, it's just been a long morning."

"Cammy's been a little strange too, lately. If there's something going on that I need to know about..."

"Strange how?"

"She's got nightmares about something happening to you," Mrs. Fisher explained. "And I've noticed she's got this really strong understanding of first aid."

"She was the only child of a drunk mother," Kendall said. "She's had to learn to lick her own wounds."

"It's not like that," Mrs. Fisher shook her head. "If she falls and scraps her own knee, she's just like any other nine year old. A few tears, a band aid and a little cuddle, and she's fine. As soon as someone else is hurt, she becomes... I don't know, a mini-doctor."

"Okay."

"She really seems to know what she's doing on other people. Like she's used to caring for them."

"Have you ever been around a drunk person?"

"Kendall, this isn't a skill we adopted her with. It's improving, all the time," Mrs. Fisher said. "She's learning it from someone and..."

"You think she's learning it from me? You think she's been taking care of me?"

"You're just... always hurt," Mrs. Fisher said. "And you say it's nothing, or it's from work or something but... It makes me nervous, Kendall."

Kendall sighed, looked down at her bruises and then took a deep breath in. She could feel the tenderness from her battle that morning against Heckyl's latest monster. She knew the pain would go away in time and that she was fine, but since her mother had brought up her concern, she had to look at her injuries from an outsider's perspective. It looked pretty bad.

"Chase has never laid a hand on me," Kendall assured her mother. "I know my parents were in a toxic relationship, Bella, but I still had you and Jon to look up to. Mom and dad are who I don't want to end up like. You and Job are my frame of reference, and trust me; Chase is living up to expectations. Exceeding them, even."

"You're sure?"

"I'd kick his ass if he was doing anything less," Kendall promised. "That is, if there was anything left after Koda got his hands on him."

"Koda does seem like he's really looking out for you," Mrs. Fisher nodded. "So if it isn't Chase, it's really just work?"

"Just work. Just my regular responsibilities," Kendall said.

"For some reason, that doesn't make me feel any better."

"Bella, I promise you, I'm okay. I'm doing well," Kendall smiled and reached across the table, touching her mother's hand. "I'll let you know the minute that changes. I promise."

"Alright. I trust you," Mrs. Fisher smiled and nodded, then called the waiter over so they could place an order. "Let's just get off this topic then and talk about something a little more fun."

"What was Cammy's goal like?" Kendall asked and Mrs. Fisher's face lit up.

"I caught it on video," she said as she pulled out her phone. "You have to see it, Kendall. It was so incredible!"


	2. A Dreaded Call

Chase flipped a burger, and then shrugged his shoulders, glancing to his girlfriend for a quick second in between.

"I doubt she's that worried about us," he said. Kendall leaned against the prep station, with a look of worry still on her face. She had come back to the museum after her lunch date with her mother, and hadn't been able to shake the fact that her mother had questioned Chase. She understood the number of bruises she constantly sported would look suspicious to anyone who didn't know her Ranger secret, but this had been the first time someone accused Chase of hitting her.

It made her a little ill just thinking of that. Chase, the man who had been nothing but kind, patient, and loving towards her, was under suspicion of something so disgusting.

"You told her there was nothing going on, right?" Chase asked and Kendall's expression changed to shock.

"Of course!" she answered swiftly.

"Good. You're a pretty straightforward person. I'm sure she believes you. I'm pretty sure I'm still good in her eyes."

"It's just... I'm starting to consider..."

"Telling? Kendall, it's _your_ rule to keep us a secret."

"I did make that rule before any Ranger had family in town," Kendall reminded him. "Your mother was back home in New Zealand and... well, we both know Koda's situation."

"You enforced that rule for Tyler, Shelby and Riley."

"Tyler's father was missing and his mother lives out of town," Kendall said. "Riley's mother is also out of town. Only Shelby has parents living with her, and she's hardly ever at home."

Chase nodded his head to acknowledge her point. Shelby did rarely visit home, especially now that Kendall had offered her a full time position at the museum. The pink Ranger was now usually at the museum, in the lab, or with Tyler in his apartment. The few times she did go home probably weren't long enough for her parents to notice any real bruising. As well, Shelby had been somewhat of a klutz her whole life, often banging into things, especially as a waitress. And with her tomboy personality, her parents were likely used to seeing bruises here and there constantly.

"I visit my parents once a week. They're always at the museum picking Cammy up or dropping her off. It's getting really hard to hide everything from Bella."

"So you want to tell her?"

"I don't know," Kendall sighed.

"Well, your dad knows, Jeremy knows, Cammy knows. What's one more person?" Chase asked, then looked over at Kendall, "On the other hand, the more people you love know, the more targets Heckyl and Snide have to use against you. You've already made it clear you'll choose Cammy over the energems."

Kendall nodded. Chase made a good point. If she told her mother about her secret, she would have information that Heckyl or Snide could use.

"Then again," Chase continued his thought. "Your mother doesn't have to know anything to be used as bait. Knowing less might actually cost her."

Kendall groaned. She was hoping Chase would have an answer for her one way or the other, yet he seemed to be flopping back and forth. She crossed her arms.

"What if this was your mother?"

"I'd keep her out of it," Chase said. "Mum worries way too much. She'd get herself and me into trouble trying to keep me out of harm's way. It's too risky."

"That's what Jon said."

"That my mum's a worrier?"

"That Bella worries a lot," Kendall told Chase with a little sigh. "He said it would kill her."

"Then I guess you don't tell her," Chase suggested. "Let her go on thinking whatever she thinks, even if it's about me. I can handle it."

"She thinks that its work related right now," Kendall said. "At least, if she believed what I told her she does. But if I show up with anymore bruises, I just know..."

"Kendall, I know who I am. If her thinking I'm the bad guy keeps her safe and you happy..." Chase trailed off when he saw the way Kendall winced. Clearly, that lie wasn't sitting well with her. He put down his spatula and made his way over to her. "You've got my support, if you want to be a hypocrite."

"You're not helping."

"It's like you said, the rest of us don't have family in town. Your situation is different. If you want to tell your mother what's going on, I've got your back with the others."

"I don't know, Chase," Kendall said, shaking her head. "I really don't know what to do."

"You don't have to do anything right now," Chase told her just as her cell phone started to ring. "I mean, you can think about it for a bit. Nothing needs to happen just yet."

"I guess," Kendall agreed then answered her phone. There was a little surprise on her face when she heard her mother's voice. Then, suddenly, she bolted from the kitchen and Chase briefly heard her mentioning she would be at her parents as quickly as she could. Forgetting about the burgers he was responsible for, Chase went after her.

"Kendall, wait up," he called, ditching his apron at one of the tables and following Kendall out to the car. He was just able to jump into the passenger seat before Kendall took off. "What's happening?"

"Jeremy was airlifted to the hospital," Kendall told him. Chase frowned deeply.

"What?"

"I don't know," Kendall shook her head. "Bella just said some runners found him at the bottom of a ravine."

Chase held onto the seat belt as Kendall swerved through traffic.

"Is he going to be okay?"

"Dammit, Chase, I don't know!" Kendall shouted, having lost her temper with him quickly while at the same time honking her horn at the driver ahead of her who took an extra second at the green light before moving.

"Okay, okay," Chase conceded then gestured to the road. "I can get us to the airport in ten minutes."

"We're not going to the airport."

"But didn't Jeremy head home a week ago?"

"I don't fucking know what's happening, Chase!" Kendall shouted at him again. "He's here in Amber Beach. So unless you have a route that's faster than the one I'm fucking on, shut up and let me drive!"

Chase nodded his head and leaned back in his seat, content with staying silent for the rest of the trip.


	3. Tensions Rise

Chase walked down the halls of the hospital with two coffees in his hand; neither for him. He had just come back from the cafeteria, looking to get away for just a minute, though feeling extremely guilty for doing so.

Kendall had gotten the call from her mother just a few hours back about Jeremy's arrival at the hospital. It still wasn't clear what had happened to him, or why he was still in town, but the Fishers had learned that their son had been found at the bottom of a deep ravine, unconscious. He had been airlifted to the hospital and immediately taken in for surgery. Right now, it was just a waiting game to see what his condition would be.

Mr. Fisher was handling himself well. He would speak with the doctors as they came to give updates and he was also answering Cammy's questions. He was able to keep his patience with her, though Chase could tell he was getting a little irritated.

Mrs. Fisher could not sit still. She was pacing the room, taking to anyone who worked in the hospital looking for an update, regardless of whether or not they had any contact with her son. She wanted to know anything there was to know, as soon as it was available. Chase could see now why Kendall was hesitant to talk to her mother about her Ranger secret. Mrs. Fisher did not handle crises well.

Cammy was, well, Chase didn't know how to describe her behaviour. Like a little kid, she was asking too many questions. Yet, she showed her maturity by sitting patiently and waiting for the doctors to approach her father before questioning him on an update. Chase's heart sunk a little thinking Cammy had likely done this before. With an alcoholic mother, it was likely she had been in the waiting room once or twice hoping for the best.

Chase passed the first coffee to Mr. Fisher then sat down next to Kendall and offered her the second cup. She took it silently and fixed her gaze on the cup, almost afraid to look up. Chase was sure she was pretending not to be at the hospital; that her brother was back at home, where he was supposed to be.

"How are you holding up?" he asked her. Kendall shook her head.

"I dropped him off at the airport," she whispered. "He had a return ticket. His suitcase was packed. He said goodbye."

"Maybe he tried to surprise you with another visit?" Chase offered.

"I called Tracey. I asked what she knew," Kendall said. "Jeremy never went home. He told her she could visit her parents with Anna and he was going to stay here."

"Did she say why?"

"I... I don't know," Kendall shrugged. "I didn't get a chance to ask. She was in a rush to get the first flight down. Chase, why wouldn't he go home?"

"We'll ask him," Chase told her. "When he's out of surgery, when he's awake again, we'll ask him what he was thinking and you can give him shit. Sound good?"

Kendall didn't answer, instead choosing to stare at her coffee. Chase kissed the side of her head and let her sit with her thoughts for a moment while he turned his attention to Cammy.

"How are you holding up, kid?"

"I'm a little hungry," Cammy admitted in a soft voice, as though she didn't want to disturb her parents or Kendall. It was another thing Chase had noticed about the little girl that upset him; though she was asking a lot of questions, she was trying not to be a bother to her parents. She already almost wet her pants when she had been afraid to ask Kendall or her mother to take her to the washroom, and now it seemed she was too shy to ask if she could have some money for a bite to eat. Chase nodded his head and offered his hand.

"How about you and I take a walk and see what there is to eat?"

He thought that might be helpful for everyone. Looking after a child in a crisis was never easy. Taking Cammy away for a little bit would help the Fishers cope with their own feelings, or at least talk to each other a little more. Cammy nodded her head, accepted Chase's hand and walked down the halls with him in search for food.

"It's pretty scary, huh?" Chase said to Cammy as they walked slowly, their eyes peeled for a vending machine."

"Yeah," Cammy nodded. "Is he going to be okay?"

"You know what, I can't tell you one way or the other right now," Chase answered honestly, knowing the little girl would appreciate it. She didn't like being lied to, and it was clear that things weren't looking up for her brother right now. "But I do know that Amber Beach has some pretty amazing doctors, and they're working really hard to make sure you get your brother back."

"That's what Ms. Clarkson said."

"Ms. Clarkson?"

"My social worker," Cammy explained. "The doctors called her the first time to look after me when mom got really sick. She said they were going to work really, really hard to make sure she was okay."

"She didn't make it, did she?"

Cammy shook her head. "It's different this time, though, right?"

"I guess so," Chase said. "But... care to explain how?"

"I don't know," Cammy shrugged. "That's why I keep asking Jon what's going on. I want to make sure it's different. When mom was in the hospital, the doctors always looked really, really sad when they talked to Ms. Clarkson. They don't look as sad when they talk to Jon, so it's got to mean it's different."

Chase spotted a vending machine and reached into his wallet to take out some money. He put it in the machine then let Cammy pick out whatever she wanted. There was nothing but chips, chocolate and candy to choose from, yet the little girl no longer seemed to have an appetite. Chase knelt next to her.

"I think I know why this is different," he said and Cammy looked to him hopefully. "Your mother drank, right? People who drink and drink like that, they don't have a lot to fight for. So when it's time to be strong, they sometimes just let go."

Cammy seemed a little horrified to hear this and her eyes started to water.

"But what about me?"

"Cam, I'm sorry," Chase said, taking her hands softly. "I'm sure your mother tried to fight for you but... it's just complicated. Do you understand that?"

"I wasn't enough?"

"No... No, that's not what I meant at all. You were much too good for her, Cammy. Your mother, I'm sure she just... she wasn't sure what she would do anymore. She felt really, really lost, I'll bet and... I'm sure she wanted so much better for you, Cammy. She knew she couldn't do anything for you anymore and that's when she let go."

Chase wasn't sure any of this was true. He never met Cammy's mother, and didn't know much about her other than she drank constantly, even around her daughter. Still, Cammy had arrived in foster care in good health. He had to assume that meant, on some level, her mother was providing for the little girl. In some way, that had to mean she cared.

"Your mother couldn't hold on any longer. Aside from you, there was nothing she had to hold on to so she just... slipped away."

"Died."

"Okay, died," Chase nodded. "Jeremy, he's different. He's got your parents and his wife. He's got a daughter and two really amazing sisters. He's fighting, really hard, just like the doctors are. That's the difference."

"So, he will be okay?"

"He's got a better chance," Chase told her. "But we're still going to have to wait and see. And we're going to have to do a lot of hoping and send out a lot of good thoughts."

Cammy turned her attention down the hallway where Kendall and her parents were waiting. She sighed.

"I think everyone is a little scared."

"I think you're right," Chase agreed. "And that's okay too."

"It is?"

"Yeah. Because you and I are going to send out enough good thoughts for everyone," Chase assured her. "Think you can help me with that?"

Cammy nodded her head a little bit, then glanced through the glass of the vending machine and picked out a chocolate bar. Chase smiled and squeezed her shoulder gently before they walked back to be with the others. Once they arrived in the waiting room, they saw Mr. and Mrs. Fisher talking with a doctor. Cammy wanted to run over to listen for herself, but Chase held her back.

"Good thoughts," he reminded her and Cammy nodded her head. She closed her eyes tight and Chase knew she was hoping for good news. As she did that, he glanced to Kendall and offered her a soft smile when she looked back at him.

Across the room, Mrs. Fisher's attention was mostly focused on the doctor. What was left of it, however, was focused on keeping an eye on her daughters. She had been watching Kendall, and then when Chase came back with Cammy, she watched the two of them. Cammy didn't seem much happier, but Mrs. Fisher could tell her spirits had been lifted a bit. She seemed a little more optimistic, a little more like a child than a veteran of bad news. She also caught the way Chase looked to Kendall, silently reassuring her that no matter the outcome, he would be there for her.

She regretted ever doubting Chase would do Kendall any harm. He looked after her both her daughters with so much love. Yet, if he wasn't the source of bruising, and Mrs. Fisher doubted working in a museum would cause so much harm, what exactly led to all of Kendall's injuries? What exactly was going on with her family?

"... but he is stable," the doctor finished and Mrs. Fisher just barely caught that last part and breathed a huge sigh of relief. Stable meant alive, and it was probably the best thing she could hear right now.

"Can we see him?" Mr. Fisher asked.

"He's still out," the doctor said. "We're moving him to ICU right now. When he's ready, we'll let you know."

Mr. Fisher thanked the doctor while Mrs. Fisher started to make her way over to Kendall. She sat next to her daughter.

"Your brother's okay," she started off with that, but the look on her face told Kendall there was more. The purple Ranger felt her stomach turn in anticipation.

"But..."

"Do you have any idea what your brother was doing?"

"I don't."

"Kendall..."

Kendall leaned back a little when she heard her mother's tone. Mrs. Fisher didn't seem to believe her.

"Bella, I really have no clue what's going on."

"It's just..." Mrs. Fisher looked to the bruises on her daughter's skin before continuing. "Since you've come back... Kendall, please don't take this the wrong way but, there's something off. I can just feel it. Call it mother's intuition but..."

"I told you, there's nothing to worry about," Kendall frowned. "And as for Jeremy, I've got no clue what he's doing in town or why the hell he was in a freaking ditch."

"Bella, she doesn't know," Mr. Fisher said as he made his way over. "We're all a little worked up right now, and we all want answers but..."

"Don't you want to know why the hell your daughter is covered in bruises all the damn time, Jon?" Mrs. Fisher snapped at her husband, turning to him.

"She's a grown woman. She can look after herself. If she says it's nothing..."

"Your daughter is showing up to every single family dinner in bruises. I don't give a rat's ass if she's a grown woman or not. I want to know what's going on!"

"You're worried about Jeremy and you're taking it out on Kendall," Mr. Fisher said.

"Because it looks like someone's beating up my daughter, and suddenly my son is found in a ditch," Mrs. Fisher shouted and Kendall suddenly found herself clamping her hands tightly over her ears.

" _Where the hell are you going to go?"_

" _Somewhere far enough so that I don't have to hear that whiny, bitchy ass tone of yours every again!"_

" _You can't just leave, Tom! We have a daughter together..."_

" _So what? I never wanted her anyways!"_

"Excuse me for caring about my children!" Mrs. Fisher continued to scream at her husband while Chase rushed over to Kendall to comfort her. Cammy, meanwhile, dropped her chocolate bar and ran over to her parents.

"Stop! Stop it! Please, don't fight!" she called out, grabbing both of their arms and tugging as hard as she could to get their attention. "Please stop fighting!"

Her parents stopped shouting and looked down at their youngest. Mr. Fisher was quick to kneel down and take Cammy in his arms while Mrs. Fisher took a breath then turned to Kendall.

"Honey..."

"Don't," Kendall growled and got up from her seat, pushing past Chase and her mother before storming off.


	4. A Brother's Concern

Mrs. Fisher had no idea what was worse: her daughter being a Power Ranger, her daughter lying to her about it, or the fact that she seemed to be the last one in the family to know. She looked to her husband, who could only offer her a shrug in return.

"That's it?" she frowned. Her husband shrugged again.

"Bella..."

"That's all you can say?"

"Mrs. Fisher, we're supposed to keep a secret identity," Chase told her, hoping to take some of the heat off Mr. Fisher when he saw the angered look in the older woman's eyes. "Anyone who knows about us found out by mistake."

"We tell each other everything, Jon," Mrs. Fisher growled, still keeping her gaze fixed on her husband.

"This wasn't my news to tell."

"You let me walk around like an idiot while our daughter was in danger!"

"I kept my eye on the news! If anything happened..."

"You would tell me?"

"I..."

"Only after our daughter's been hurt? Or killed? Or... worse?"

"What's worse than killed?" Cammy whispered to Chase, who only shrugged in response. He didn't need to get into the details of that with her, especially now.

"Kendall is a private person," Mr. Fisher reminded his wife. "We promised, when it came to her opening up, we would do whatever we needed to make her feel safe."

"Keeping life-threatening secrets from each other is not _whatever_! She's our daughter!"

"Don't you think I know that, Bella? But it's not like either of us can do anything about any of this! You heard Chase, she's bonded to the ener-jewel or whatever it's called! There's no going back from that! Kendall needs to be a Ranger, all we can do is hope that..."

"You don't think I understand that, Jon?" Mrs. Fisher growled. "You don't think I get that being a Power Ranger is kind of a big deal? That these heroes are chosen for a reason?"

"Bella..."

"What burns me is that our daughter was out there, in danger, and I had no damn clue about it! I just go about my day, like nothing's happening, meanwhile she could be in the fight of her life."

"I just didn't want to worry you..."

"She's our daughter!" Mrs. Fisher screamed, then shook her head and started making her way out of the private room Chase had brought them to for this talk.

"Bella..."

"Don't talk to me, Jon," she shouted before storming out, slamming the door. Cammy let go of Chase's hand and ran after her. Mr. Fisher sat down on the bed and rubbed his face in his hands. Then he looked to Chase.

"I don't know what to do at this point."

"She just needs time to calm down and think about this," Chase said, but Mr. Fisher shook his head.

"We've never kept secrets from each other. Honesty is the backbone of our relationship. Even when it was tough, we always came clean. And especially with the kids. We're equal parents. I... I should have just... when I found out, I should have told her."

"It's a tough situation, mate," Chase tried to assure the older man, but to no avail. Mr. Fisher still seemed very worried and upset. "She'd have reacted this way no matter when you told her, I'm sure."

"I'm not," Mr. Fisher sighed.

-Dino-Charge-

Meanwhile, down the hallway, just before the elevator, Cammy caught up to her mother and grabbed her arm, pulling her back as the doors opened. Mrs. Fisher sighed and looked down at the daughter, seeing the hurt in her eyes.

"Cammy..."

"I want to stay with Kendall," Cammy stated firmly, planting her feet on the ground. Mrs. Fisher nodded her head.

"When she comes back, I'm sure you can sit with her."

"No," Cammy shook her head. "I want to stay with Kendall. If you're mad at her and she's not your daughter anymore, I want to go with her."

"Not my... Cammy, what are you saying?" Mrs. Fisher knelt down and looked her daughter in the eyes. Cammy shrugged.

"You and Jon are mad at each other," Cammy stated. "It's because Kendall is a Power Ranger. And since she can't stop being a Power Ranger, and you didn't adopt her... I just want to stay with Kendall, no matter what happens to us."

"Why do you think...? Cammy, nothing is going to happen to us."

"When parents fight, they hate each other," Cammy said. "And when parents hate each other, they get divorced. But since Kendall's not your real daughter then..."

Mrs. Fisher chuckled lightly, shook her head and took Cammy's hands.

"You're right, we never adopted Kendall," she told the little girl. "But Cammy, that doesn't make her any less our daughter, or part of this family. She's not going anywhere, and neither are you."

"So then you and Jon are getting a divorce?"

"No," Mrs. Fisher answered, then breathed loudly and shrugged. "Well, look, Cammy, this is all a bit complicated right now. You're right that we're fighting, you're right that it's about Kendall being a Ranger but... You kids have nothing to do with this."

"But everyone is mad and... something has to break," Cammy looked to her mother with real confusion. Mrs. Fisher pulled her daughter in a little closer and smiled at her.

"What do you think happens when parents fight?" she asked. "What were you told about this?"

Cammy shrugged her shoulders. "When I used to ask my mom about my dad... she said they had a fight. She wanted to keep me and he didn't. Because he didn't want to keep me and she did, he left."

"So you think, if Jon and I are fighting, we either have to leave each other or leave you kids?"

"Mom said she couldn't leave me. Moms can't leave their kids. And since Kendall's not your kid..."

"She is my kid, Cam," Mrs. Fisher smiled. "Your father and I, we're going to figure this out. But no matter what happens, you and Kendall and Jeremy are all our kids. We're not giving any of you up. Do you understand?"

"Yeah," Cammy nodded and hugged her mother tight.

-Dino-Charge-

After leaving her parents, Kendall found her way to Jeremy's room and sat by his bed, waiting for him to come to. She knew it could be a while. He had been found unconscious and then brought in for surgery, but she knew he had to wake up at some point. She needed to yell at him. He was always there for her when she needed him – at least, that was the promise he made to her.

She didn't say a word while she waited for him. Not until he started to open his eyes. Kendall was just about to call for a nurse, wanting to get him checked out before she yelled, but he stopped her.

"It's getting embarrassing," he managed to get out with a raspy voice. "Saved by my baby sister again."

"I didn't save you," Kendall frowned. "Some joggers found you."

"That's less embarrassing," Jeremy chuckled, but Kendall shot him an angered look. His laughter stopped but he still smirked. "I know it's impossible, but you look exactly like mom..."

"What the hell were you still doing in Amber Beach?"

"I couldn't leave," Jeremy said.

"You mean you couldn't go home? To your wife and daughter..."

"And leave you?" Jeremy added. "I went to the airport, Kendall. I thought about what you said and... Tracey and Anna are safe where they are. You aren't."

"I told you..."

"I know what you said but... I'm your brother. Your big brother."

"So it's a pride thing?"

"If wanting to keep my family safe is a pride thing, then yes," Jeremy nodded his head. "I called Tracey. I told her she could visit her parents for a bit with Anna while I hung out a little while here. I wanted some time to figure out what to do next. She was fine with it. Hell, she encouraged me to stay here as long as I needed."

"And why would she do that?"

"Because she knows how much I fucking miss you!" Jeremy shouted, lifting his hand to smash it back into his bed, but then regretting it when pain shot up his arm and into his back. "Dammit!"

Kendall's look softened a little bit. "Me?"

"Well, you, mom, dad, Cammy," Jeremy nodded painfully and then regretted not letting Kendall call the nurse. "She knows how much I miss the family. Every since you came back, and made it clear you were staying, I've felt... guilty, I guess."

"You made a life for yourself..."

"And you're trying to make yours now," Jeremy said. "Tracey, she's on board. She can find a job out here; she knows a lot of people. She's just like that. And if I can figure something out, we're going to move home. I thought, if I stay the extra week here, I can speed that up. I can get a job, train and..."

"Train?"

"For the silver energem."

"Jeremy..."

"I can't let it go!" Jeremy frowned. "I can't, in good conscience, let you go running into trouble knowing I didn't do everything I could to help. If there's an energem out there, I want it to be the one to reject me."

"You have a daughter to think about..."

"And she's in danger too. This whole world is in danger. You and the Rangers are keeping it from falling apart. So if something happens to you, Anna's in trouble. We all are."

"So you were training? Out in the woods?"

"You work hard all the time," Jeremy nodded. "I thought, if the energem saw me working just as hard, I stood a better chance."

"Energems don't have eyes. They aren't watching and waiting. They need to be discovered."

"Don't I get points for trying?" Jeremy asked, but Kendall didn't respond. He sighed. "Fine, whatever. I was training, not that it seemed to matter. That's when this... guy showed up."

"A guy?"

"Yeah, odd looking," Jeremy nodded. "He dressed like some kind of fancy magician or something."

"Like a magician?"

"With weird blue streaks and goggles," Jeremy said. "Who wears goggles unless you're in a pool or flying a plane?"

"Heckyl."

"Heckyl?" Jeremy frowned. "Weren't you friends with a Heckyl?"

"It's... complicated," Kendall sighed. "What did he do? Did he say anything?"

"I... I don't remember," Jeremy shook his head. "He kind of just showed up, I got this really bad feeling and then, next thing I know, I'm at the bottom of some ravine, then everything went black. When I come to again, you're giving me... that look. Kendall, what's going on?"

"I'm going to kill him."

"Kendall, don't! Whatever he tried to do, I'm fine!"

"Fine?" Kendall turned and pointed to her brother. Jeremy looked down at himself, finally taking time to examine his body for injury, rather than just feel the pain. He seemed to have a broken arm and leg, multiple bandages wrapped up tightly around what he believed were deep gashes and many bruises, matching Kendall's black and purple outfit almost exactly. He hissed.

"Okay, maybe I'm not fine, but I'm alive."

"He did this to you!"

"And if it's bugging you, then maybe that's the reason," Jeremy said. "Look, Kendall, please, don't do anything about this, especially on my behalf. Otherwise it's not worth it."

"Jeremy..."

"I got in over my head twice now trying to keep you safe," Jeremy told her. "If you try to do something about it, it'll be for nothing."

Kendall looked to the door. Jeremy reached his hand out and just barely grazed her arm. She turned to him. "Don't," he begged her.

Kendall's glare softened. Jeremy tried to move over on his bed to give her some room, and then pulled her in closer.

"I'm just trying to keep everyone safe," he told his sister. "Just, be safe, okay?"


	5. Family Secrets

Mrs. Fisher wanted to talk about the news of Kendall being a Ranger. It burned at her very soul that her daughter was risking her life on a regular basis. However, given that her husband had hidden that secret from her, Mrs. Fisher wasn't sure she could have a reasonable conversation about it. She was certain she would lose her temper, and with her son in the hospital, and both her daughters in a fragile state over it, she had to put aside her own concerns.

Tracey arrived at the hospital with Anna a few hours after Jeremy woke up after his surgery. She was understandably distraught, and wanted to know as much as she could about what had happened. Mrs. Fisher thought about telling her everything, but realized quickly she didn't know everything. Kendall had spoken with Jeremy, likely getting the whole story from him (or as much as he could remember), but hadn't shared anything with the rest of the family. Mr. Fisher only seemed concerned that Jeremy was okay, and Cammy, despite her mother's reassurance that the family would be okay, didn't want to cause any waves with her questions. She liked that her parents weren't yelling at each other, and didn't want to risk that starting up again.

So Mrs. Fisher kept her mouth shut about the Rangers. Telling Tracey would only worry her more, and without answers, there was really no reason to make her worry.

-Dino-Charge-

After a long day at the hospital, Chase was finally back at the cafe. He hadn't called his teammates to let them know why he skipped out on work, so when he walked into a messy cafe to a bunch of angry stares, he didn't take offense. He only put his arms up and breathed heavily.

"You've got to let me explain."

"If you and Ms. Morgan are off making out or something..."

"It's not like that, Shelby," Chase interrupted her quickly, a little curious by her assumption. While it did sound like something he would do, skipping out on work to make out with a beautiful woman, Kendall wasn't the type. Indeed, Chase had learned that when Kendall was on the job, her mind was focused solely on the day's work, and not on making any romantic advances. He had learned that if he wanted to get a little frisky, he would have to plan his breaks to match hers, or visit her apartment after work. It was a little more structure than he liked, but the rewards far outweighed the inconvenience. "Kendall got a call about her brother."

"Everything is alright?" Ivan asked. Chase nodded his head.

"Now it is. He's okay, but it wasn't looking good for a while."

"Wasn't looking good?" Tyler frowned. "What happened?"

"I'm not sure yet. Kendall didn't say much after talking to him, but he's in pretty bad shape."

"Is she flying out to see him?" Riley asked.

"He's in town," Chase answered, looking a little confused about that himself. "Kendall rushed out earlier to see him, and I knew something wasn't right, so I followed her out. I meant to call you guys, but between looking after Cammy, talking to the doctors and... well, Mrs. Fisher finding out..."

Chase trailed off on that last bit, looking to see if his teammates knew what he meant or if he would have to clarify. Fortunately, since the cafe and the museum was closed, he could tell them everything if he needed to.

"What exactly do you mean, finding out?" Ivan asked. Chase gave his teammates a guilty look and they quickly caught on.

"She started really losing it," Chase clarified. "A lot of weird stuff's been going on that she's noticed, and I guess Jeremy being in the hospital just pushed her over the edge a bit."

"So, Lady Kendall's entire family is aware of our identities?"

"It's different for her, mates," Chase said, quickly coming to his girlfriend's defence. "She's got family in town. Family she sees often."

"She's the one who set the rule we can't tell anyone anything," Shelby frowned, crossing her arms over her chest. "I could have gotten my dad off my back ages ago about this business school thing if I told him I was too busy saving the world!"

"I wouldn't have to lie to my brother about why I'm still in Amber Beach," Riley agreed.

"She didn't have family at the time."

"So now that she does, she's allowed to tell them, but we can't?" Shelby frowned.

"Her mother was starting to get suspicious. She even accused me of hitting her!"

"But you would never strike a lady," Ivan stated.

"So, you let Ms. Morgan tell, just to save your own ass?" Riley asked. Chase sighed loudly.

"No. I wasn't happy to hear the accusation, but if Kendall didn't want to tell her mother anything, I'd live with it. She knew the truth, that's all I needed. Mrs. Fisher was getting worked up, there was a lot of fighting going on, Kendall got upset, Cammy seemed to be getting scared... the family looked like it was coming apart. I had to do something."

"Is Kendall family okay?" Koda, who had kept quiet until now, asked with real concern. Chase breathed a sigh of relief.

"I don't know, mate. It's not exactly looking good."

"What does that mean?" Shelby asked, the jealous, annoyed look on her face slipping in exchange for worry.

Chase shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. Her mother seemed pretty pissed she was the last to find out. She and Mr. Fisher had it out pretty bad. Unless it was about Jeremy, they haven't spoken since."

"Do you think they could have a falling out because of it?" Riley asked. Chase, again, shrugged his shoulders.

"Mates, I'm really not sure what's going on anymore. I just came to get a bit of a break, wash up, tell you guys the news and check up on the lab for Kendall. Now, if you're all done worrying about what's fair and what's not, can I please go?"

Chase pointed to the doorway to the lab, and the other Rangers cleared a path for him. As he walked off, they looked to each other, unsure of what to do next.

-Dino-Charge-

While Tracey and Anna spent some time with Jeremy, the Fishers took this as their opportunity to grab what they needed from home. Mrs. Fisher stayed at the hospital, just in case there was some news, while Mr. Fisher went home. He would need a suitcase with clothes and toiletries, knowing he would be staying at the hospital for a while. He had also been tasked with getting his wife's belongings. It was a job he would do happily, but also one that concerned him deeply. He wasn't sure how much longer he would be able to call her his wife.

As he had mentioned to Chase, honesty had been the foundation of their relationship. Though it had caused a few trials along the way, being open and truthful with each other had worked for them so far. Mr. Fisher never had to be suspicious of his wife's strange behaviour, or spend hours lying awake at night wondering if _fine_ actually meant something else. They had been able to address issues in the relationship quickly, which meant hardly anything was bottled up until they exploded.

The few secrets they kept were either surprises, or mistakes. From time to time one of them would be so worried about their partner's response, they would try to hide a mistake. However, Mr. Fisher had learned long ago that if he was honest and quick to admit his wrong doings, his wife usually wouldn't be too angry with him. In return, he practiced the same, choosing to focus more so on his wife's honesty than her mistake. Neither was perfect, so mistakes needed to be expected and forgiven.

When it came to the kids, their rule about honesty was even more important. They were both parents, and equal parents. If something concerned their children, they both had the right to know about it. When Jeremy got in trouble with school, Mrs. Fisher never hid it from him to spare her son a second bout of yelling. Instead, she would warn her husband ahead of time, let him know what she had done for discipline, and if there was any follow-up required, they would handle it together. In return, he did the same.

Mr. Fisher even remembered the awkward conversation he had with his wife when Kendall had her first period in school. Kendall had been so embarrassed by the event; she skipped class and hid in the washroom. When it was recorded that she wasn't in class, a teacher who knew it wasn't like her to play hooky went to investigate. She found Kendall in the bathroom crying, and after some digging found out why. A call was made to Mrs. Fisher and she rushed to school to help.

Unfortunately, by then, the office had also made a call to home. Mr. Fisher, who had been home from work, answered it only to find out Kendall had missed class. He always instilled in his children the importance of education, and had a speech ready for Kendall about why it wasn't okay to miss even a single class.

When Mrs. Fisher brought Kendall home, the young woman begged her mother not to tell anyone what had happened, especially her father and brother. Mrs. Fisher did assure her the story would not be repeated, but asked Kendall to wait in the car when they got home. She told her daughter it was to make sure no one was home, and that she could make it to her bedroom to change without being seen. Really, it was to calm down her husband and explain the situation. Mr. Fisher sat for five minutes, listening to his wife explain how humiliating and painful the first period could be, and putting a lot of emphasis on Mr. Fisher not to breathe a word about it, ever.

To this day, if it came up, Mr. Fisher pretended that when the school called, it was to inform him that Kendall had the stomach flu and needed to be picked up.

When it came down to it, Mr. Fisher knew he didn't need to be told the details of what happened. His wife could have lied to him for Kendall's sake, sparing him the details of his daughter growing up. It wasn't like that lie would have hurt their relationship. Then again, nothing was guaranteed. Lies had a nasty was of being exposed, and hidden lies were always much worse than the original. If he had done the laundry and saw the blood, he wasn't sure how he would have reacted.

Him keeping Kendall's secret from his wife was much bigger than that, though. Having a period was normal. Kendall wasn't in any danger. Being a Ranger was life-threatening, and had the potential to affect the whole family in the worst way possible. Mr. Fisher knew he should have included his wife.

However, there was no rule in place for what should be done if one of their children had a secret identity that they used to save the world. No marriage counsellor, pastor, therapist, or book could have prepared him for what to do in case his middle child was chosen to don purple spandex and fight evil, alien monsters. All he knew now; his wife was angry with him, perhaps rightly so, perhaps not.

But she had never been this angry before.

"Jon?" a little voice pulled him from his thoughts and he looked down to see Cammy, with her little suitcase, standing in the doorway. "Are you ready?"

He closed up his bag, mentally double checking to be sure he had all his and his wife's things, and then nodded his head.

"Ready as I'll ever be," he smiled, just for Cammy, just to assure her that, no matter how much yelling she had heard in the hospital, everything was going to be okay. One thing was sure; he and his wife loved their children immensely.

But Cammy saw through the smile. It was a crazy gift she had, perhaps because her biological mother had lied to her many times. She let go of her bag and rushed to her father, wrapping her little arms around his legs.

"You tried to do the right thing," she said to him, and Mr. Fisher smiled genuinely this time. The nine year old was right. Whether he had been right or wrong, he had tried to do right by his wife. He only wanted to do the best thing for his family. He could be faulted for making the wrong decision, but not for his intention. He wasn't sure his wife would see it the same way, but at least his daughter did. He knelt down, gave her a real smile and nodded his head.

"I love you, Cammy."

"I love you too," Cammy smiled back.


	6. A Chance To Listen

It was a rough for Kendall and the Fishers. Tracey and Anna had come to town several hours after Jeremy woke from surgery, and they hadn't left his side since. Understandable, since they wanted to know what happened. Jeremy only told them that he had been jogging in the woods when he lost track of where he was going and slipped. Tracey seemed to believe the story for the most part, and Anna really didn't care for the story, except that her father would be okay.

The Fisher parents were in and out of the hospital, trying to juggle sitting with their son and going to work. They had been given a couple of days off, but both found work to be a sort of retreat. Jeremy would be fine, they were sure of that, but it was nice to get back to a regular routine. It was nice to forget for a couple of hours that they almost lost their son.

Even better, they liked spending the time apart from each other. Mrs. Fisher was doing her best to keep her cool around her kids and granddaughter, but behind closed doors, when it was just her and her husband, she was still livid. She was angry Mr. Fisher had kept Kendall's secret from her, angry that it made her look like a fool and angry that all this time she could have been supporting and looking after her daughter.

For Kendall, that anger was all too familiar. After dropping Cammy off at soccer practice, she wanted to head over to the Fishers. She hoped a few days after the reveal would be enough for Mrs. Fisher to be ready to listen to the whole story. She hoped she could explain her story to her mother, and why she had chosen to keep the secret. She hoped if she took a little bit of the heat off her father, they would be okay. But walking up to the front door, Kendall didn't hear much hope. Instead, she could hear her parents shouting, her name coming up from time to time. Mrs. Fisher especially was angry. Kendall thought about going in, about trying to step in but as soon as her hand touched the doorknob, she couldn't bring herself to open the door.

" _I think mommy's sorry,"_ Kendall said, sitting at the foot of her parents' bed while she watched her father dig around the closet for his suitcase.

" _That bitch has never been sorry about anything in her damn life,"_ her family grumbled. He found the suitcase he needed, the biggest one in the closet, and pulled it out. Kendall looked to it, admiring how big it was. She was sure if she tried, she could fit inside that suitcase. She wasn't too big, in fact, she was the smallest in her class. If she wanted, she could pack herself up in her dad's bag, and go wherever he was going; he wouldn't even notice.

" _That's not nice words, daddy,"_ she said to her father while she watched him open his dresser drawers and take clothes from it. He tossed them into the bag.

" _Your mother's not a nice woman."_

" _Yeah she is,"_ Kendall said, feeling the need to defend her mother. While her parents had been fighting a lot, shouting with each other, making the whole home feel very unsettled for the little girl, her mother was still her mother. _"I think if you and mommy just tell each other you're sorry and that it's okay, everything will be better again."_

" _Nothing will ever be better again, Kendall,"_ her father told her, a deep frown on his face. Or at least, Kendall assumed it was a frown. He was on the other side of the room, so his face looked a little blurry to her. _"Your mother's a bitch, she blames me for everything, so there's nothing I can do except leave."_

" _Where are you going to go?"_

" _Not sure yet."_

" _When are you leaving?"_

" _Now."_

" _When will you be back?"_

" _I'm not coming back."_

" _Daddy, don't be silly,"_ Kendall shook her head. _"You have to come back."_

" _I don't."_

" _Yes."_

" _No."_

" _Yes."_

" _He's not coming back, Kendall,"_ her mother said, standing at the door, arms crossed and a scowl on her face. _"If he knows what's good for him, he won't ever come back."_

" _But what about me?"_ Kendall asked. Her father looked to her, right in the eyes.

" _Does it look like I give a damn about you?"_

" _Thomas Morgan!"_

Her parents proceeded to yell at each other again, their tempers rising each time the other spoke. Her father started to slam doors shut and her mother was stomping around after him. On the bed, Kendall covered her ears with her hands and screwed her eyes shut. She stayed like that, waiting until one of her parents told her everything would be okay. She knew it wouldn't be long before she felt a caring hand touch her back and opened her eyes to see her mother, or father, or both looking to her with a smile, promising her it would be the last time they yelled.

However, this time, it never came. Kendall sat in her parents' bed for what must have been hours before she willed herself to open her eyes. The lights were off, the house was silent. Very carefully she climbed out of bed and made her way to the hall. She called out for her parents, but no one answered. With a little fear in her step, she started to make her way down the stairs. She searched the kitchen, but no one was there.

" _Mommy! Daddy!"_ she cried out and ran to the living room. There, she found her mother asleep on the couch. Next to her was a whole bottle of what her mother then called adult juice; later, it would be medicine.

Interfering had done Kendall no good before. Parents that yelled would continue to yell until they sorted it out for themselves, or one of them left. Kendall let go of the door handle and sat down on the steps of the patio. She listened to the muffled voices of her parents shouting until, half an hour later, it stopped. Fearfully, Kendall stood up and made her way inside. To her horror, she spotted a suitcase sitting right next to the door. It seemed it was packed, ready to go. Her heart sunk deep.

Her father suddenly appeared on the top step of the staircase, looking down. He seemed surprised Kendall was home. His face was white, but the space around his eyes was red. It looked like he had just been crying.

"Kendall..." he said, looking to her in shock. "How... how long have you been there?"

"I just walked in," Kendall answered, somewhat honestly. "Is Bella home?"

"Now's not really the time to talk, Kendall," her father shook his head, glancing to their bedroom first, then back at Kendall. "She's uh... she's not feeling well."

"Jon..."

"Kendall, really, it's not the time," Mr. Fisher insisted, making his way down the stairs. "Your mother and I are still trying to figure this out and..."

"I want to hear it from her," her mother said, stepping into the hallway, also looking like she had just been crying. "Your father said it was his idea to keep me in the dark."

"It was mine," Kendall stated, but her father jumped in quickly.

"Bella, this was my call," he stated. "Kendall didn't know what to do, whether to tell you or not, especially once I found out. I made the executive decision to..."

"Executive?" Mrs. Fisher growled. "So you purposely kept this from me..."

"I didn't need you to worry. I trust Kendall's got a good team with her. She's a smart girl..."

"You don't get to make these decisions for me!" Mrs. Fisher shouted. "You don't get to tell me when and how I'm going to worry about my daughter! I had just as much right to know!"

"I didn't find out on purpose," Mr. Fisher said. "I stumbled on the truth. If I hadn't followed Kendall that afternoon I..."

"The point is you lied to me!"

"Will someone just leave already!" Kendall shouted, stomping her foot and looking up at both her parents. "Someone just leave! Stop all the yelling!"

"Kendall..." her father made it down the rest of the stairs and tried to approach her. She pulled away from him.

"Just go."

"Honey... I'm not leaving," Mr. Fisher shook his head then he looked up at his wife. "Neither us of are leaving."

Kendall looked to the suitcase by the door, then up at her mother. Mrs. Fisher shrugged her shoulders.

"That? That was on our doorstep when we came home," she explained. "It has your name on the tag, so we brought it in."

"We thought you left it here when you picked Cammy up," her father said, then put his arm on her shoulder. "Kendall, your mother is angry with me, and she has every right to be. But that doesn't mean I'm leaving."

"I have every right to be angry?" Mrs. Fisher asked, her arms still crossed, but the angered look on her face slipping a little. Her husband nodded his head.

"I did lie to you," he nodded. "I know we want honesty between each other at all times and you deserved it. But Bella, you need to hear me out. I have no idea what to do when I find out our daughter is a Power Ranger. Kendall kept the secret from me..."

"Don't blame her for this, Jonathan!"

"I'm not," Mr. Fisher said to his wife then repeated to Kendall as he pulled her into his arms. "I'm not blaming you for this, Kendall. It's just... Bella, I didn't mean to find out. Even when I did, I didn't want to know the truth. Every time I see those monsters in the city, every time I hear people talking about the Rangers, I have no idea what to do with myself. I'm torn between doing something to help, and staying out of the way. It's the worst feeling and I didn't want you to go through it too."

"I don't need you protecting me."

"I know that, Bella. But... knowing the truth wasn't going to protect Kendall. There's not much we can do, no way for use to really help. We're just... onlookers. I didn't think you needed to know, but I get, you would have liked to. I'm sorry, Bella. I'm really, really sorry."

Mrs. Fisher looked down at her feet, contemplating her husband's apology. Until now, they had either not spoken or yelled. He had offered apologies, but she hadn't accepted them, throwing them back in his face because she was angry.

But she looked to her husband then her daughter and she sighed. She no longer knew what to make of the truth. She thought of all the times she watched the Rangers fight, and how worried she had been then, thinking the people beneath the spandex were mere strangers. Now she knew it was her daughter. Her worry grew, and just the thought of anything happening put the fear of god in her.

That must have been what her husband tried to save her from.

She still didn't like the lies. She didn't like the truth much either. She made her way down the stairs, nodded to her husband and then smiled at her daughter.

"You'll explain everything to me?" she asked and Kendall nodded her head.

"Whatever you want to know."

"You might want to sit down for it, Bella," Mr. Fisher suggested and gestured to the living room. "It's a lot to take in."

"That's a good idea," she agreed and followed her husband to the other room. Kendall stayed behind, her eyes once again catching the suitcase. Her parents believed she had left it at their place, but she had done no such thing. The suitcase wasn't hers, yet it was purple and when Kendall glanced at the tag, it did have her name on it.

Her curiosity got the best of her. Taking the zipper, she pulled it open.


	7. A Personal Attack

Kendall had her laptop in hand as she charged through the museum. She bumped past her employees who were just finishing up their shifts, earning a few annoyed grumbles from them, as well as hearing a few unflattering names being thrown her way. She didn't care for any of it, though, as she had her mind set only on reaching her Lab.

After dropping Cammy off at soccer practice, she stopped by her parents' home, hoping to help them settle the fight that had started up when Mrs. Fisher learned Kendall's Ranger identity. She had been fortunate enough that, for her sake, her mother had been willing to hear her father out, and her father had finally been able to put his apology and his reasons into words. They seemed to put the fight behind them, at least long enough for Mrs. Fisher to hear Kendall's story and get a better understanding of what her life was like now that she was a Ranger.

Kendall never got the time to explain. When she walked into her parents' house, she noticed a suitcase. She thought initially that one of her parents was going to take off, leaving the family behind for good. However, her parents told her the suitcase had been left on their doorstep and believing it was hers, they brought it inside for safe keeping. Kendall never brought a bag over, though, and so wondered what was inside. Her curiosity got the better of her, and she opened up the suitcase only to find her laptop inside.

She owned two laptops. One for business, one for her Ranger responsibilities. The laptop for work travelled with her between the museum and home, unless she was able to use her tablet instead. The laptop for her Ranger duties always stayed in the lab where it was safest. No one touched it, no one dared unplug it. Hell, sometimes she caught Tyler, Chase or Ivan pretending not to even notice it when they walked into the room. They knew how protective she was of the laptop and everything it contained.

The fact that it turned up in a suitcase in her parents' home meant there was something seriously amiss in the lab. She sped off to the museum, her parents not far behind and raced down to the lab as quickly as she could. When the elevator doors opened, she was shocked by what she found.

The lab had been destroyed. Her work bench was cut in two, her tools were scattered on the floor. The Transmuter was smashed with the wires torn out. The crystal beds were intact, but heavily scratched. Koda's club had been shredded into wood chips and there was a heavy crack down one of the rock walls.

"No... no," she breathed out, taking off her glasses, hoping that blurred out, the lab wouldn't look as bad as it actually did. Years of hard work, ruined. Her heart sunk.

"Oh Kendall..." her father whispered, taking a look for himself before helping his wife over some of the debris. He looked to his daughter, seeing the defeated look on her face. "Honey..."

"What is this place?" Mrs. Fisher asked.

"It's ruined," Kendall answered. She made her way over to where her work station had been and hoped that something could be done to restore the lab, but she couldn't see it. "It's all ruined."

"This was Kendall's lab," Mr. Fisher explained to his wife. "It's where Kendall made all the weapons and the Chargers that the Rangers use in battle."

"She makes them all?"

"She's a busy woman," Mr. Fisher nodded. "She does most of her work here. She's the one who makes sure the Rangers are always prepared when they go into battle. She keeps them safe."

"Keeper!" Kendall shouted and rushed into Koda's caves. She wasn't sure where Keeper stayed when he wasn't physically in the lab, but it wasn't like him to disappear in times of real trouble. Surely, an attack like this would have drawn him in. All the chargers she had been working on, all her scanners and trackers were gone. Without them, there was no way of finding the tenth and final energem.

"There's got to be a way to clean this all up, right?" Mrs. Fisher asked her husband while they waited for Kendall to come back from the caves. Mr. Fisher shrugged his shoulders. He really wasn't sure.

Suddenly, they heard Kendall scream from within the caves. Mr. Fisher took off running, leaping over the fallen debris to reach his daughter. Mrs. Fisher was a little more cautious, but still moved as quickly as she could. When she made it into the caves, she saw the walls were colored in a deep green liquid. Just based on the look, it reminded Mrs. Fisher a lot of blood, but the green colour had her confused.

"What happened in here?" she asked just before spotting a lump of... she wasn't sure what, sprawled in the corner. It seemed like a reptilian creature with its scaly skin. This Ranger business seemed strange up until now, and she didn't even know the real history behind it just yet. For all she knew, Kendall had somehow resurrected a dinosaur. "What is that?"

"That's Keeper," Mr. Fisher answered as he gently passed a shaken and distraught Kendall over to his wife, asking her to hold their daughter. "Get her out of here, please."

"Keeper of what?"

"That's just his name," Mr. Fisher said. "Bella, I can't explain this now, just get her out of here, please."

"But Jon..."

"Bella, this is her friend, okay," Mr. Fisher explained to his wife very quickly, and knew he was leaving her with more questions than answers, but he needed her to do as she asked. Kendall's lab had been destroyed, her work lost and now Keeper seemed hurt, perhaps dead. On top of the emotional turmoil the whole Fisher family had suffered, this was too much. "Please, get her back upstairs, call Chase and get him to bring Koda along too. They won't be far."

"Okay," Mrs. Fisher nodded. She put her arms around her daughter and helped her leave. Mr. Fisher ran his hands through his hair as he got another look around the room. Then he winced, looking a little put off as he started to approach Keeper's body. With a shaking hand, he reached out to the alien and tried to wake him.

"Keeper, its Jon. Kendall's dad. Are you... okay?"

There was a lot of thick, green liquid on the wall. Jon was hoping it wasn't the alien's blood, but when Keeper didn't respond, he grew more concerned. "Keeper? Okay, Keeper, I'm going to roll you over and..."

Mr. Fisher jumped back when the front of Keeper's body was exposed. There were gashes, each one deeper than the last, tearing through the alien's thick flesh. He had to cover his mouth and turn away, suppressing a gag as he did. He had seen people dying in the TV shows he watched. He had seen brutal murders in movies and ate popcorn while watching the torture scenes. Even in his nightmares, he watched Kendall die in battle, and it was rather graphic.

But nothing prepared him for this. Mr. Fisher removed his shirt to cover the alien's wounds. It was all he could think of doing to spare his daughter and the rest of the Rangers the pain of seeing their alien friend like he had.

"They'll get whoever did this to you," Mr. Fisher told Keeper before making his way out. He looked once more around the lab and he felt nothing but pain for his daughter. He knew, in a way, this was her home.

"You know," he heard a voice behind him suddenly and turned around, finding himself staring right at Heckyl. The green splotches of blood on his suit were a clear indication that Heckyl, if not Snide, had caused all this damage. "I was expecting a fight."

"You stay away from my daughter," Mr. Fisher growled and tried to appear threatening, though he knew against this alien, he didn't stand a chance at taking him down. "Do you hear me?"

"Is it too much to ask for a talk?" Heckyl asked. "I mean, I thought beating up her brother might draw her in. We'd get to talking, I'd finally get my hands on an energem..."

"You hurt my son?"

"And then she never showed," Heckyl said. He walked to the middle of the room, where Kendall's work station used to be. "I waited hours, then days outside my ship, hoping she would stop by for a chat. I wouldn't have even minded if she brought a few friends along with her. Maybe the graphite and aqua ones. You know, I haven't seen them around much. But no one, not even that Black Ranger showed up."

"You did this because the Rangers decided not to fight?" Mr. Fisher asked. Heckyl finally looked to him, rolling his eyes as he did.

"Are you new in town? That's all the Rangers ever do. You try to take something peacefully, and then they bring out the big robots and... well, it's the same old, same old. Seriously, read a newspaper, old man."

"You destroyed my daughter's lab over this?"

"Me?" Heckyl pointed to himself, then laughed. "That's flattering, but you see, I'm not capable of this disaster. I only came down here as a threat. I thought, if Kendall didn't show up at my ship to warn me to stay away from her family, she must be down here. So I make my way over, plotting my trip out carefully to avoid being seen by any of her friends and what do you know, she's not even here."

Heckyl clenched his fists together tightly and seemed to be growing angry. Mr. Fisher knew it was time to leave but was worried what Heckyl would do if his only audience tried to escape.

"Just a simple talk," Heckyl growled. "A warning, of sorts. A gesture of compassion. She gives me what I want, I give her a heads up about what's happening in my neck of the woods. A deal, of sorts, I guess."

"You want the energems?"

"Among other things," Heckyl nodded his head. "I wanted to have a word with your daughter. I wanted her to reconsider some of the decisions she's made. She stood me up!"

Heckyl smashed his fist into the table, one of the very few items still left standing in the lab. Jon watched as it crumbled under Heckyl's fist.

"I never should have let her go. I had her, right in the palm of my hand and I gave her up. All for what? For a game? To make things interesting?"

Heckyl kicked a steel beam. Mr. Fisher ducked as it flew over his head.

"I want two things, old man," Heckyl said as he walked over to Mr. Fisher, moving in so close, the older man had to take a few steps back to try and keep his distance. "I want all ten energems, and I want her. I get what I want, I leave this planet as is. Is that too much to ask?"

"You want my daughter for what?"

"I don't know!" Heckyl cried out, turning away from Mr. Fisher. "I don't really know what I want to do with her right now. All I know is that I want..."

"No hurt Kendall!" Koda shouted, jumping into the lab from the slide and launching himself onto Heckyl. The caveman grabbed the alien, dragged him across the room and slammed him into the rock wall on the other end. Mr. Fisher watched the stone behind him crack right up to the ceiling and winced.

"Now this is a fight," Heckyl said, but before he could try anything Koda lifted him into the air and smashed him into the ground. With a loud roar, Koda reached for whatever he could grab, found himself gripping a broken steel beam and beat Heckyl with it.

"I kill you!" Koda shouted with a crazy, blood thirsty look in his eyes. Mr. Fisher almost wanted to stop him, but Heckyl had just threatened Kendall. He didn't want Heckyl going anywhere near his daughter.

"Koda! Koda stop," Chase suddenly called out, slipping down the slide a little too quickly as he found himself barely able to keep his balance when his feet hit the floor. "Koda, not like this."

"Hurt Kendall. Break home..."

"We can fix this stuff, mate," Chase reasoned with the caveman, holding his hands out. Heckyl, meanwhile, got to his feet and wiped the blood from his nose. Chase pointed to him. "It's just Heckyl right now, big guy. You hurt him anymore you know who's going to come out. He doesn't want that, and we certainly don't want that to happen."

"Who says that's not what I want?" Heckyl asked.

Chase gestured around the lab, "I'm willing to bet that this isn't your handiwork, mate. We both know you're more of a strategist and Snide's a bit more... direct."

"And your point?"

"Kendall's right upstairs," Chase said and pointed up. "There are three energems here, yes. Snide can get them all, but though she's shaken, mate, I'm telling you, Kendall's not giving up that energem without a fight. He'll kill her, or she'll kill both of you. There's no in between."

Heckyl growled. Chase nodded his head.

"Trust me, mate. You do not want to see her pissed off. I'll keep the caveman off you, you keep Snide away from here and get out before she pulls it together."

"This isn't over," Heckyl said as he rushed to the slide and pulled himself up. When he was gone, Koda threw the steel beam into the wall and then walked over to Chase, bumping him in the chest.

"I almost kill him!"

"Mate, you'd have had to go through Snide before you were really done with him," Chase reminded Koda. "And the two of us aren't strong enough to challenge him, especially with the lab like this."

"I caveman strong..."

"I know you're pissed, Koda. I am too," Chase said. "This place was like my home away from home. But it's just a lab."

Koda turned away from Chase. The black Ranger touched his friend's arm.

"Koda, togu."

"Togu?"

Chase nodded his head. "Yeah, mate. It's all togu. It's going to be togu."

"Maka," Koda responded before he dropped to the floor. Mr. Fisher made his way over to Chase, a curious look on his face.

"Togu?"

"It means everything's going to be okay," Chase said. "Koda spend the day once teaching us the language he used back at home. I thought it might calm him down a little to hear it."

"It's not all... togu," Mr. Fisher shook his head then pointed to the caves. "Your friend Keeper is back there. He's... he might not have made it."

"Keeper? Keeper was here?" Chase raced to the caves, coming back out a moment later, his face completely white. Koda rose to his feet, but the black Ranger held up a hand.

"Mate, don't."

"What back there?"

"Koda, just... take my word for it, okay. Don't go back there."

Koda looked to Chase, saw the pain in his eyes and nodded his head. This was all too much to take in. His own eyes started to water.

"My cave is... ruin? I have no home?"

"You'll stay with me," Chase offered.

"But cave is like home."

"I'll let you sleep on my balcony."

"There too much noise in new world!" Koda shouted and stomped his feet. Mr. Fisher jumped in hesitantly.

"We have a basement, Koda. It's unfinished, so it looks like a cave, and you can't hear the city from down there."

"Kendall be there?" Koda asked. Mr. Fisher nodded his head.

"I'm not letting her out of my sight."

"Kendall stay in parents' cave, Koda stay in parents cave," Koda told Chase, who nodded his head.

"I think that's best."


	8. Trying To Regroup

The Rangers sat in the empty cafe, their faces long as they tried to process the news they just heard. None of them could believe it.

"Keeper's dead?" Tyler asked. He knew the answer wouldn't change. This wasn't something anyone would joke about. But he needed to hear it again. His brain, his heart, his whole being needed to hear it one more time to be sure it was true.

Mr. Fisher nodded his head as he looked to the Rangers. He wasn't sure how close any of the Rangers were to the reptilian alien. He knew Keeper had brought the energems to Earth, and for the first while he had done a lot to explain to them how their newfound powers would help them fight off Sledge and his army. However, beyond that, he didn't hear them speak of Keeper much at all.

"Yeah. He's gone."

"But... how?" Riley asked, looking to his teammates and then back to Mr. Fisher. He didn't expect Kendall's father to have all the answers, but he had been the one to break the news so he was the one they were all turning to. "I mean, he's in the lab. It's supposed to be the safest place..."

"Heckyl knows where the lab is," Kendall answered. "He attacked Cammy down there too."

"Keeper must have been defending the lab," Chase reasoned, shrugging his shoulders so the others would see that though he spoke with confidence, he was still just guessing what happened. "It's trashed down there. Snide, Heckyl, whoever, destroyed it to the days!"

"What does that mean for everything down there?" Shelby asked, looking to Kendall. The purple Ranger shook her head.

"Everything is gone," she said.

"We find some chargers," Koda said, holding out his hands, revealing some chargers. Kendall examined them for a moment, and then passed them around to the Rangers they belonged to, keeping those meant for the team for herself.

"We're just going to have to make do with these for now," she told the Rangers. "Dino Super Charge, Dino Armour X, T-Rex Super Charger and Dino Drive are all still here, as well as the Cupid Charger."

"So we still have enough power to fight."

"But we're lacking the flexibility of all the other Chargers we've come up with," Riley said.

"No more farts in Megazord?" Koda asked, to which Kendall shook her head.

"I can recreate some of the older chargers..."

"Or maybe we can just move forward with new ones," Tyler suggested. "Snide's just killed Keeper. He's clearly not shy about fighting dirty. We have to come back with something really powerful. Something he's not going to see coming."

"Yeah," Shelby agreed. "If we're lucky, they're going to think we're going to rebuild the lab like it was. Maybe they think this will at least buy them time."

"It's going to," Kendall said. "With the exception of my laptop, all my other tools and technology are destroyed. It'll be a week before I can do anything."

"A week's still pretty good," Riley nodded. "We've got some of our more powerful Chargers to hold us over until then."

"We'll make sure Snide and Heckyl come to regret their actions in our base," Ivan agreed. "Even without the Chargers, our fight for Keeper's honour will keep us strong until we have new weapons in our hands."

"I... I guess I'll get to work, then," Kendall sighed and pushed herself out of her seat, pulling away from her mother who had been holding her close to head to her office. Koda watched her go, almost like he wanted to go after her, then put his head down on the table, looking like a kicked puppy. Shelby put her hand on his back.

"We'll get the lab back to normal soon," Shelby said. "If everything's destroyed, that means it's just a quick clean up and then..."

"It never be home again," Koda told her. "Home is place where I feel safe."

"Koda, you can stay in our basement as long as you need," Mr. Fisher offered again. The caveman gave a little nod, but the invitation didn't seem to lift his spirits at all."

"Thank you, Kendall dad," he said. "I stay. But... caves being gone still make me sad."

"Whatever you need to make it feel more homey, you name it," Mrs. Fisher said.

"Cave is first place I feel safe," Koda explained. "Kendall bring me there. She take me away from people who hurt me. She make it feel like... uh... home away from home. Cave is also where I meet all my new friends."

"The lab was kinda the first place where I felt really comfortable in America," Chase said as he looked to Koda empathetically. "I mean, back then, Kendall wasn't the most welcoming person, but she did make sure we were both safe and taken care of down there. It was nice."

"I guess I get what you're saying," Shelby nodded her head. "Just thinking of Snide in our base makes me feel a little... violated. It's like he's broken a rule or something. He shouldn't be allowed in the lab."

"Not to mention what happened to Keeper down there," Riley added, glancing around the room, hoping he didn't make anyone uncomfortable. "It'll never feel the same again."

The room fell silent for after that, with no one really knowing what to say. Shelby leaned into Tyler, who put his arm around her and held her close. Koda stayed with his head rested on the table. He knew he had someplace to go now that the Fishers had offered him their basement, but it would be a while before he adjusted to leaving his caves behind. Ivan played with his hands, keeping his anger contained, knowing such passion wasn't needed at the table in this moment.

Not long into the silence, Chase got up and wordlessly followed Kendall down to her office. He met up with her at the doorway, putting his arms around her as she stared into the room absent-mindedly.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered in her ear, bringing her back. She shrugged.

"It's just things."

"Kendall, that lab felt like home to me," Chase said. "And I'm not the one who ate, slept and worked there all the time. I know you. I know this museum and that lab especially are the first places you really got to call home."

"Are you trying to make my cry?" Kendall asked, turning around to look at Chase, letting him see her eyes were starting to fill with tears. He shook his head.

"I'm just reminding you it's okay to feel... something."

"Jon mentioned Heckyl was looking for me."

"Kendall..."

"He attacked Jeremy. He must have been waiting for me to come after him. I wanted to. I would have, but Jeremy convinced me it wasn't worth it. Now this?"

"The less emotion you show him..."

"Chase, he's twisted," Kendall said. "If I don't play the part he's written out for me, exactly as it's scripted, he thinks I've betrayed him."

"Because he's a nut job!"

"What if it's you next?" Kendall asked, looking up at Chase in fear. "You know he hates that we're together. He thinks I betrayed him and that you took me from him and... If I don't give him the reaction he's looking for..."

"He can't hurt me."

"He killed Keeper!" Kendall shouted. "You can't say that wasn't to get back at me!"

"Hey, this isn't about you," Chase tried to reason with her. He held her arms. "Kendall, Heckyl's the bad guy, remember? They do bad things. Hence the name. If he was reasonable, predictable and even just a little bit fair, he would be... well, an anti-hero at least."

"He destroyed my lab."

"I know," Chase said and hugged Kendall tight. "I'm really sorry."

-Dino-Charge-

To say the Rangers were shaken was a bit of an understatement. Having their base destroyed and some of the technology and weapons gone left them feeling very unsettled. Mr. and Mrs. Fisher weren't exactly sure what was going to happen from here on out, but for the most part, the Rangers were motivated to push forward and come back from this attack stronger.

Still, until they could feel safe again, the Fishers had offered their home. Koda was already allowed to stay in their basement, but the other Rangers were welcome to stay the night, or longer, if it made them feel a little more at ease. With Jeremy still in the hospital, it would be a few days still before he needed his room. That meant there was one extra bed, a few air mattresses and a couch that the Rangers could sleep on.

They took up the Fishers' offer, heading home with them so they could be together at least for the first night after losing the lab and Keeper. However, to the Fishers' surprise, they all opted to sleep in the basement, wanting to be together.

While they made themselves a little room to sleep, Chase excused himself. Kendall was up in Cammy's room, explaining everything that had happened to the little girl so she would understand why the home suddenly had six extra houseguests. Chase told his teammates that he was headed upstairs to help Kendall, but once he arrived on the main floor he walked out the front door.

Losing the lab had hit him and his teammates pretty hard. The lab was their place of safety, their place of fun (unless Kendall needed to focus), and their place of training. It was where they had learned to be a family. Losing that was a big blow, especially to Kendall and Koda, who would often call the lab and the caves home.

Losing Keeper was something no one liked to talk about yet, but Chase knew it was hurting everyone. He had been the one to explain their powers, and at times served as a mentor, helping them out with personal, as well as Ranger issues they couldn't overcome on their own. Chase remembered, in his early days as a Ranger with Koda, Keeper would often step into battle, offering a helping hand as well as protection from monsters. It was thanks to Keeper that Chase was still alive when Tyler, Shelby, and Riley finally turned up months later.

But worst of all, at least for Chase, losing the lab meant all of Kendall's hard work was gone. Years worth of research, of building, designing, analyzing; multiple cuts, burns; sleepless nights, long days; working on empty stomachs, the frustrations of failure, the joy of success... all of it reduced to a handful of chargers and a huge amount of pressure from her teammates to rebuild it all again, but better, in a fraction of the time, without the safety and homeliness of the lab, and the support and help of Keeper.

It was a tall order, to say the least. And it infuriated Chase.

Heckyl had a habit of turning up when the Rangers wanted to speak to him. Chase figured it was because he wanted to make his acquisition of the energems fun. If they were willing to make deals, to threaten him, or to offer up trades, he wanted to be there, ready for whatever would happen. So Chase wasn't surprised to find himself meeting up him in late into the evening in the middle of the empty park.

"You hurt her," Chase said, figuring if he led off with that, it might soften Heckyl a little bit.

"I didn't do anything."

"You attack her brother, leave him for dead, then take Snide to her lab and let him destroy it?" Chase left out the part about Keeper. Either Heckyl already knew they were a mentor short, or he didn't need to know. "Do you think she's just going to come running into your arms after that?"

"Now she knows how it feels."

"This love thing you've got for her, Heckyl, it's sick," Chase frowned, shaking his head. "You don't manipulate the people you love! You don't attack their little sisters or their brothers or them!"

"Maybe that's how we show love, where I'm from," Heckyl shrugged, but Chase didn't believe it. Not for a second."

"You hurt her."

"And what exactly are you going to do about it?" Heckyl asked, a confident smirk crawling up on his lips.

"I..."Chase paused as he realized he had no idea. When he left the Fisher home, the only thought on his mind had been confronting Heckyl. He had never considered what he would do if Heckyl showed up, or what he wanted to gain from this.

"You have the girl," Heckyl continued. "And, you know, I'm coming to terms with that. As long as she loves you, I don't stand a chance."

"Exactly. And I'm not going to do anything to change that. Especially while you're still standing."

"Oh, but I think you will," Heckyl smirked and Chase saw a blue glow cutting through the dark. He reached for his morpher, but it wasn't in time.


End file.
